Gaming Monitor vs TV for Gaming – What is the difference?

When trying to decide between buying a Gaming TV or a Gaming Monitor, there are many aspects to consider. Let’s go through them.

Most often, casual gamers do not even consider purchasing a gaming monitor instead of a TV. As long as the game plays well without obvious interruptions, casual players are often satisfied with just using a TV for games. This is especially true with story mode games.

For serious gamers, the differences can be quite obvious. High-speed games that require numerous and fast panel changes require a monitor with a fast refresh rate and response time. Otherwise, the gamer is left with multiple blurred images, screen stuttering, and ghosting. In FPS (first person shooter) games, an image may still be seen while in reality, it disappeared seconds earlier. This is known as ghosting. This is often a make or break option for serious gamers. Seamless panel movements are one of the most important aspects in FPS games.

Considering TVs have drastically improved image quality over the last few years, a good TV is often perfectly acceptable for some gamers. Unless gamers know exactly what features they’re looking for in a TV that will allow a great gaming experience, they could end up disappointed in the quality.

The Gaming TV

The Samsung TV and LG gaming monitor have both incorporated 4k UHD which is 4 times greater than Full HD. The TV and monitor are both under $500 and within $20 of each other making them both very affordable. Both contain an HDMI 2.0 and an equal refresh rate (the number of times a monitor can change an image in a second) of 60Hz.

In looking at the differences, the Samsung TV is obviously a more multi-functional choice. Response time is the amount of time it takes for the input into a computer to be represented onto the screen, and the Samsung’s 18.7ms response rate is not bad at all for using to play games. The bigger screen of 40″ allows gamers the ability to feel more immersed in their game, especially story mode games such as the Legend of Zelda.

While darker images aren’t that important while watching TV, it is important for some gamers to have a black enhancer or equalizer while playing fast-action or FPS games. This is another feature that needs to be considered when deciding between a TV and a gaming monitor.

The Gaming Monitor

The LG 4k UHD Monitor does include some exceptional features for serious gamers that a TV does not. It has an sRGB of over 99% and a resolution of 3840 x 2160. The response time is much greater than the Samsung at 5ms.

Like the Samsung, it has a refresh rate of 60Hz but it also incorporates the FreeSync feature. FreeSync allows a more seamless panel movement in high-action games. It basically eliminates tearing and stuttering that can occur because of the differences in graphic card frame rate versus the monitor refresh rate.

While the monitor is smaller than the Samsung at 27″ versus 40″, some gamers may forego the larger screen for a faster refresh rate and the FreeSync feature. The LG also has a DisplayPort which a lot of gamers like the option of having in addition to HDMI ports.

The LG gaming monitor is ideal for first-person shooter games such as the Call of Duty and Halo series games. As mentioned above, this monitor eliminates ghosting which is a very important feature to today’s gamers.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to use a TV or a gaming monitor for gaming is up to the individual. Casual and story mode gamers may find a TV perfectly suits their needs. While serious or FPS gamers may decide the faster refresh rate and FreeSync abilities are must-have features.

We hope this article has helped you in deciding which is best for your needs. It’s important to decide whether or not a TV would be used frequently for gaming. Our best recommendation is to read reviews and decide on the available features that will enhance your gaming experience.